Monday

Daily Star, Beirut

Terror cells targeted

Lebanese security forces have busted a number of terrorist cells in the past few days and arrested some of its members on suspicion of plotting terror acts, State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud said Sunday. In line with its sustained campaign against terror groups, the army has discovered a cave in north Lebanon used by militants to make explosives. Three suicide bombings have rattled Lebanon in the past week.

Insurgents declare caliphate

The al Qaeda splinter group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has captured territory in Iraq and Syria, has declared itself an Islamic caliphate and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, the group said Sunday. The move poses a direct challenge to the central leadership of al Qaeda, which has already disowned it, and to conservative Gulf Arab rulers.

Editor's note: The jihadi group's growing strength has caused jitters across the region, particularly in Jordan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Tuesday

Haaretz, Tel Aviv

Slain teens

The bodies of three Israeli teenagers abducted 18 days ago in the West Bank were found Monday north of Hebron in the Palestinian town of Halhul. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed tough action. "Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay," he said. The three youths, whose bodies were found under a pile of rocks, are believed to have been hitchhiking when abducted. The teens were students at religious seminaries in the West Bank.

Editor's note: An estimated 50,000 mourners attended the boys' funeral in the central Israeli city of Modiin.

Rocket attacks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Israel will put a stop to the rocket fire from Gaza, if Hamas doesn't halt it. Fifteen rockets were fired from Gaza at southern Israel in the past two days, damaging homes. On Sunday, the Israeli Air Force attacked nine targets in Gaza, including weapons factories and three rocket-launching sites.

Wednesday

El Siglo, Panama City

New president

A front-page photo shows Juan Carlos Varela giving a speech after his inauguration on Tuesday. The headline says: "Truce and Food." The former vice president issued a decree to freeze the price of 22 staple goods. He also announced an amnesty until Aug. 1 to members of some 200 gang members who surrender their weapons. The inauguration was attended by numerous heads of state from Latin America, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Taiwan President Ma Jing-jeou and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Editor's note: Varela won the presidency in May after one of the toughest-fought contests since democracy was restored two decades ago. He captured 39 percent of the vote, compared with 32 percent for outgoing President Ricardo Martinelli's choice, Jose Domingo Arias.

Venezuela restores ties

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his government will restore diplomatic relations with Panama now that Juan Carlos Varela is the new president. Maduro broke off relations in March after Panama requested that the Organization of American States address a political crisis in Venezuela that resulted from months of violent antigovernment protests.

Thursday

Global Times, Beijing

Snubbing North Korea

Analysts say China is performing a delicate balancing act between North and South Korea, as President Xi Jinping Thursday kicked off a state visit to South Korea. This is the first time that a Chinese president has visited South Korea before visiting the North while in office. During the two-day visit, Xi and South Korean officials are expected to discuss a possible trade agreement and mutual concerns over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Military pledge

The People's Liberation Army and the paramilitary People's Armed Police have voiced their support for the Communist Party after former military leader Xu Caihou was detained on a corruption probe. Xu could face charges in a military court of taking money and property in exchange for promotions and other favors.

Editor's note: Xu is a retired general who had been deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission, which controls the Chinese military.

Friday

National, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Saudis deploy troops

Saudi Arabia has sent 30,000 soldiers to the border it shares with Iraq after Iraqi troops withdrew from the area. Islamic State insurgents and other Sunni militant groups seized cities in Iraq in a lightning advance last month. King Abdullah ordered all necessary measures to protect the kingdom against any "terrorist threats," state news agency SPA said.

Military service

National service will be the making of the country's youth, says a member of the program's authority. "Mothers will notice the difference in their sons when they come back, and I think the general population will see a different side in our youth," said Staff Col. Mohammed Al Mulla, of the national and Reserve Service Authority.

Editor's note: A new law requires that male high school graduates, aged 18 to 30, serve nine months in the military. Those without a high school diploma must serve two years.